LANSING - Today the Michigan State Senate voted to raise taxes on seniors and working families to pay for a $1.8 billion tax break for corporate special interests like insurance companies, oil companies and Wall Street banks. More than a quarter of the Senate Republican caucus voted to reject the measure, forcing a 19-19 tie, which was broken by Lt. Gov. Brian Calley. According to a recent poll conducted by EPIC-MRA, 61% of Michigan voters opposed the plan to remove the income tax exemption for pension income, and 66% of voters opposed eliminating the Earned Income Tax Credit. [EPICMRA.com, 5/11/11]

“Michigan seniors and working families just got stuck with the bill for a huge corporate tax giveaway that even leading Republicans say has ‘no guarantee’ of creating more jobs,” said Zack Pohl, spokesman for the We Are the People coalition. “Instead of attacking vulnerable seniors and working families, it’s time for Gov. Snyder and Lansing politicians to start standing up for the middle class, start creating jobs, and get the economy moving again.”

During a town hall meeting last month, House Speaker Jase Bolger (R-Marshall) was asked what the Legislature was doing to create jobs, and he responded by saying, “I never said I would... nor did I say the budget would.” Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSTfuFML4y4